August is Tradies National Health month, highlighting the range of health-related factors which affect tradespeople working in Australia.

The month is spearheaded by the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA), with the aim to educate those working in a trade about the potential risks they face in their everyday capacity. These range from workplace bullying to the cost of joint injuries and repetitive strain conditions.

For companies, these are very real considerations which need to be taken into account by those working in this industry. Trades people and labourers make up 80 per cent of all injured workers, with these occupations among the highest risk professions.

Tradies are also very likely to be injured while working, with 10 serious injuries occurring every day across Australia among tradies alone. These accidents are costing around $1 billion each year, due to lost wages, treatment and other expenses.

Faced with such high costs, businesses have a very real incentive to get comprehensive worker compensation insurance, while also undertaking plans to improve workplace safety.

Although injuries in the workplace might be an important issue for businesses, there are other areas which Tradies Health Month is trying to address. With 94 per cent of tradespeople not eating enough fruit and vegetables, poor health and diet can cause a range of issues for employers and workers.

Issues like obesity and unhealthy lifestyles can contribute to the likelihood of injuries occurring on site, making health concerns a serious contribution to worker compensation claims and other costs from injuries.

As tradie health moves into the spotlight, hopefully more companies will take the time to invest in good practices and cover so that they are not affected by health concerns while operating on site.